Bonds of the Stars
by Wolf of the Black Rose
Summary: Many didn't know it, but Lucy Heartfilia had a brother named Felix. They had been apart for ten years but reunited when Lucy needed him the most. Now, he and his team are along for the adventure, bringing with them their own secrets and past hardships. Looks like Team Natsu now has competition for the position of Fairy Tail's strongest team.
1. Chapter 1

_**So, I finally got the first chapter for this story up. It took me a while to finalize the details, but I think I've got this down in a way that I can stick with.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: Wolf doesn't own anything related to Fairy Tail, she just owns her OC's and the story. There are a few ideas she borrowed from Just2Protect so that credit goes to them.**_

 _ **Anyway, let the story begin.**_

Chapter 1: Reunion in War

 _In a land far, far away, lies the Kingdom of Fiore. A small, peaceful nation of seventeen million and a place filled with magic._

 _Found in every home, bought and sold in every marketplace, for most, magic is merely a tool, a mundane part of everyday life. For some, however, magic is an art, and they've devoted their lives to its practice._

 _These are the wizards._

 _Banded together into magical guilds, they client their skills in search of fame and fortune. Many such guilds dot the landscape of Fiore._

 _But there is a certain guild in a certain town that soars high above the rest. One from which countless legends have been born. A guild that will no doubt continue to create legends well into the future._

 _Its name is Fairy Tail._

Speaking of Fairy Tail, recently, they had been attacked by a rival guild called Phantom Lord. They had never been on excellent terms with each other, but they went too far in a recent stunt when they attacked one of their teams. Master Makarov declared war on the guild, and everyone from Fairy Tail rushed off to battle.

Fairy Tail waged an attack on Phantom Lord and was holding its own pretty well for a while. Things took a turn for the worse when Master Makarov was ambushed by the Element 4's wind wizard, Aria, as part of a trap set by Master Jose. Aria hit Makarov with a magic draining spell, that caused him to lose his magic power. This caused a significant loss of morale and strength for the Fairy Tail wizards, forcing Erza to call a retreat.

Before anyone could make a move for the door, though, a powerful gust of wind came through. It shot right past the Fairy Tail wizards and caught six to eight Phantom Lord wizards in a mini-tornado. When it dispersed, there was a figure kneeling on one knee, his arms crossed out in front of him like an 'X.'

He looked like a young teen, thirteen at the oldest, with an active build, peach-tan skin, and short black hair with long bangs. His eyes were a shade of red that matched Erza's hair. He was wearing a red long-sleeve shirt with a hood, dark blue jeans, white sneakers, and a blue scarf with Native designs around his neck. What really stuck out was the black cat ears and tail he had, the tail seeming to have a tuft in the fur that made it look like a lightning bolt at the end.

"What the-?"

"Who's that?!"

"You mean 'what's that'?!"

"A cat boy?"

The boy turned to the phantoms with a smirk. "The Rogue Warriors say 'Hi.'" He spoke, a Southern drawl in his voice.

After he said that, a bright flash of gold light shot past the fairies and took out ten more guys. Standing a couple of feet away from the newcomer was a young man in his late teens to his early twenties. He was tall with a sturdy body and quite toned. He had light tan skin, sharp cobalt blue eyes, and medium-long, messy black hair. It kinda looked like Gray's hair, only longer. He was dressed in a sleeveless black shirt under a set of armor, blue pants, black boots, and fingerless, navy swordsman gloves.

"Prepare to fall, phantoms!" He called, prepared for battle.

"Who does this guy think he is?!"

"Let's get him!" A group of wizards threw themselves at the newcomer.

Before they could reach him, he surrounded himself in the same light that was seen earlier. In a real flash, he shot passed phantoms, causing them to run into each other.

"Eat this!" A Phantom Lord member called, before firing a magic blast at him.

Three others fired as well, but the newcomer was faster. Using his magic, he flew straight up and out of the line of fire. As he came back down, the light user landed in front of a large group of wizards. Bringing his hands together in front of him, magical energy began to collect in his hands, slowly transforming in a sphere of energy that looked like an orb made of a starry night sky.

With a forceful launch, he threw the orb at the enemy wizards. It zig-zagged in the air before reaching the center of the group. All at once, the energy expanded and created an explosion that launched the whole group in different directions.

"Whoa!" Loke breathed, trying to keep up with the action.

"That's insane!" Gray gasped. "This guy could easily be as strong as Erza!"

The red-haired wizard had to admit she was also impressed. She'd never in her life seen another wizard this powerful before.

Another group of Phantom Lord wizards tried to jump the newcomer from behind, but they were knocked away by what looked like cards.

"Nice shot, Cana!" Bisca praised the card user.

"That wasn't me…" Cana responded.

"Game on, creeps!" A new voice cut in.

The voice belonged to another young man, holding cards between his fingers like shuriken. He was about 5'8", so an inch or two shorter than Gray, with golden-orange hair that was short, messy, and spiky, a skin tone between pale and tan, and gray eyes. His build was slim but with muscles, like a runner or swimmer's build. His outfit consisted of a silvery-gray, high-collared jacket with black accents on the zipper, sleeves, and hem, dark blue-navy form-fitting jeans, black and gray combat boots, and a white fedora with a black band. He also had multiple piercings in both ears, two hoops on the arches, and three studs on the lobes.

"Another one?!"

"Where'd these wizards come from?!"

"Hey, Phantom, these guys yours?" The new wizard held up nine cards and tossed them on the floor. They glowed and released puffs of smoke. Once it cleared, a group of men was on the floor, writhing in pain. The Phantom Lord marks on their clothes were in plain view.

"Phantom Wizards!" Laki gasped.

"And a big group of them, too!" Macao added.

"Those three guys took down that group by themselves?!" Wakaba asked, amazed.

Gajeel had taken a spot up in the rafters and was watching the newcomers fight. When the fallen Phantom Lord members appeared, he recognized the group. "We sent those guys after the brother…"

The sight of the fallen wizards stirred up their guildmates. "You'll pay for that!"

"Get him!"

The Phantom Lord wizards renewed their assault, but the card wizard was ready. "Go, Jack of Spades! The Protector!"

He held up the card in question, and it glowed. Appearing in front of him was a man with long silver hair in a ponytail and dark eyes. He was wearing a tight sleeveless blue shirt, black pants, and shoes, and his arms were wrapped like a martial artist.

As soon as he appeared, the man met the wizards half-way and started fighting them off in a flurry of punches and kicks. It was hard to keep up with the fight with how fast they were moving.

A group of wizards managed to get past the fighter and tried to attack his summoner, but cards weren't the only way he could fight back. Almost matching the being he summoned, he used combinations of well-placed kicks and punches, sending any and all opponents flying from the force behind his blows.

"Wow, these guys are strong!" Natsu gasped, dodging a flying phantom.

"Aye!" Happy agreed.

"Save some for me, boys." A female voice spoke up, confidence present in her tone. Sure enough, a young woman walked through the crowd to where the boys were.

She was a beautiful girl with a curvy, slightly muscular build, a healthy tan, and about the same height as Mirajane. Her curves weren't huge but still noticeable. She had violet eyes and chestnut brown hair that reached her waist with her fringe to the right with a purple and silver striped scarf wrapped around her head like a hairband. She was dressed in a spaghetti strap white top with purple accents, blue jeans with a brown belt, and tall brown boots that go up just under her knees. She also had a silver charm bracelet on her left wrist.

Elfman had been standing in stunned silence until the girl showed up. When he saw her, he was startled, not by her looks, but by the fact he recognized her. _'That's-!'_

Before he could say anything, the Phantoms made their move. "Get the girl!"

"This should be easy!"

"I wouldn't bet on that…" She smirked. Jumping out of the way of incoming wizards, she summoned her magic. "Take-Over! Sacred Soul!"

A brilliant flash of light surrounded her, morphing into wings as it faded off of her. When her new wings fully spread, the transformation was complete. She now looked like an androgynous young man with wavy, shoulder-length blond hair. They were now wearing long, sleeveless blue robes with gold trim and accents and blue wraps around their feet and shins. The only thing that remained the same were their eyes.

"Open the First Gate! The Demon Slayer, Michael!" The girl's voice had also changed, sounding more masculine and yet being high at the same time.

Light began to form in their hands, seeming to move like flames. With a hard toss, the attack quickly took out over half of the remaining phantoms. The Take-Over wizard landed daintily among the beaten wizards, looking every bit the part of the avenging angel.

The Card wizard whistled. "Heck of a shot!"

"Certainly got your point across…" The light wizard muttered with a crooked smile.

While they were talking, the cat boy noticed the Iron Dragon Slayer up on his perch. "I spy a phantom in the rafters."

Knowing he was caught, Gajeel jumped down and landed before the new group. His gaze moved and stayed on the angel, smirking. "You want a piece of the action, Archangel?"

"I have no business with you, Black Steel," Archangel glared at him. "I'm here on behalf of a friend."

"This is his polite way of asking you to back off." The light-wielder said.

"Or the rest of you are gonna end up worse than the guys at our feet!" The card wizard finished, gesturing to the wizards on the floor.

The Fairy Tail wizards were really confused now, all thinking things along the same lines. Who are these guys, and what's their beef with Phantom Lord?

Before anyone could say anything else, the cat boy seemed to be startled by something for a moment. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small rectangle that looked like a card.

He looked at it for a minute before turning back to the others. "Orders from the boss! Time to fall back, he'll meet us at the Fairy's guildhall!"

"Alright, let's go!" The armored wizard nodded, making a dash to the exit.

"Move it or lose it, Fairy Tail!" The Card wizard called, following behind his friend.

This seemed to snap the other wizards back to reality, getting everyone to break for the door. The Phantom Lord wizards that were still standing chased after them, but the intruding wizards managed to beat them off.

As they moved, the Take-Over wizard noticed the injured Guild Master in Erza's arms. "What happened?"

"We don't know. He went to confront Jose, and then the next thing we know, he's falling from the ceiling." Gray said, coming over to them.

They looked at the old man and placed their hand on his forehead, closing their eyes like they were doing some kind of reading. "He needs a magic transfusion, fast! I can handle that when we get back to the guild!"

"You can do that?" Loke looked at them, surprised.

The angel just gave the Ring wizard a smirk. "My angels can do a lot of things, handsome."

The last part creeped Loke out a bit, but the Take-Over wizard just laughed at his reaction. Spreading their wings, they took to the air. "Let's go!"

"You sure it's okay to leave Felix alone with these guys?" The light wizard asked the cat boy.

"Oh, don't worry! He can handle it!"

 _Elsewhere_

Up, on the ridge outside of town, was the main headquarters of the Phantom Lord Guild. While the chaos was happening, a lone human with his animal companions was making his way to the building.

He was easily Gray's height, so 5'9"-5'10", and built like someone who lived outside in the wild and traveled a lot, his tanned skin and moderate muscles a testament to that. He had long blond hair that reached his upper back with his bangs brushed over his forehead just above his eyebrows and tied in a low ponytail tied with a thin leather cord. He had brown eyes, and since he was scowling, an observer would see that his canine teeth seemed to be sharper than a regular person's.

He was wearing a sleeveless, tan-brown, hooded shirt under a black jacket with white trim up the front and on the sleeves. The outfit also had bleached blue jeans, brown combat boots, a brown leather belt with a pouch on the right side, and black fingerless gloves. Finally, around his neck was a medallion of some sort. It looked like a gold star set in a circle on a simple chain.

A couple of paces ahead of him were three dogs and a wolf. Two of the dogs were Alaskan huskies, one had black and white fur with blue eyes, and the other had a tawny brown and white coat with dark eyes. The third dog was a German Shepherd with brown hair that was a mix of shades and brown eyes. The wolf was the largest of the pack with black fur and golden eyes.

All four canines were tracking something, but while the dogs kept charging forward, the wolf hung back like he was making sure the human was right behind them.

"Are we close, Storm?" He asked the wolf.

Storm barked an affirmative before moving forward again. Soon, they were standing before the massive structure.

"She's in there?" Another bark of 'yes.' "Alright, good work. Take a break."

He tapped the pouch on his belt, and the animals dissolved into golden sparkles. Looking back at the building, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes, like he was listening for something. When he opened them again, he looked up at the top floor.

"So that's it, huh?" He muttered before taking a silver key from his pouch. "Open, Gate of the Eagle! Aquila!"

A magic circle appeared in front of him, and a light flashed from it. Emerging from it was a golden eagle the size of a magic mobile, maybe twice that. The eagle looked at the summoner and squawked a greeting.

"Hey, Ryder. I need your help with something," The Celestial Wizard explained, looking up at one of the towers. "I need to get up to the top of the tower on the left. We need to be stealthy, though."

Ryder squawked again in a way that sounded like a question, which he was able to understand and answer. "I only got magic readings on two people, so I think everyone else is down at the guildhall in town. However, it's a big building, so I don't know if it's just those two people."

A squawk of understanding later, the Celestial Wizard climbed onto the spirit's back. Beating his wings with enough force to get off the ground yet remain as silent as possible, Ryder was soon up in the air, taking them to their destination. Once they reached the top, Ryder landed as best he could on the pointed roof of the tower.

When he was comfortable, the wizard began to make his way off the eagle's back. Hitting the roof, he carefully slid down until he reached the edge. When there, he twisted around to grab the side of the roof, stopping his fall so that he could make sure he was dropping onto the ledge and not open air.

Getting a look at his bearings, he inched his way closer to the entrance before dropping to the ledge, not a sound made as he landed. He turned back to Ryder and signaled for him to wait for him. He would need him to get back down.

His steps silent from years of hunting, he made his way into the building. He stayed calm and focused, keeping his senses open to even the slightest sound. He was aware of everything yet concentrated on nothing.

A few steps inside was when he heard the shout. "I'm not ever gonna go back to that house! I don't want anything to do with him!"

Picking up his pace, yet keeping quiet, he made his way to an open door and peered inside. In the room were two people, a man, and a girl. The man was definitely creepy, and the girl was tied up on the floor, yet she seemed to be defiant of the situation.

Seeing all he needed to see, the young wizard made his move.

Before Jose could react to the sound of approaching footsteps, the hunter delivered a powerful blow to the Guild Master. The force was so strong it sent him flying back into the wall of the cell.

Lucy was stunned silent by the sudden attack, her savior turning to her. "Are you all right?"

Still shocked, she nodded. The young man kneeled down to get a better look at her binds. "Okay, hold still." He told her, pulling a bone-handled knife out of a holster on the left side of his belt.

Lucy thought the knife itself was odd, but she got the point, so she did her best impression of a statue. Being as careful as possible, he made quick work of the ropes on her wrists.

"Think you can stand?" He asked, offering a hand.

"Yeah." She said, taking it.

After helping her up, he kept a hold on her hand and led her back the way he came in. Lucy let herself be lead along, feeling like this person didn't mean her harm.

When they reached the outside ledge, the hunter was about to signal Ryder when Jose got back up, catching their attention.

"Oops, I forgot to mention. This cell is several stories high," He groaned out, still in some pain from the blow. "I must admit, you did a number on me, young man, not at all what I expected from a debutante."

Lucy looked at her savior, who kept his gaze on the Phantom Lord Master. She had thought there was something familiar about this boy, but she hadn't been able to place him. If he was from the upper-level society like she was, maybe she had seen him before at one of her father's parties.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He glared at the older man, keeping his voice even.

"Why I'm talking about you, Lord Felix," Jose responded. "The firstborn son and heir of the wealthy Heartfilia family."

Lucy gasped at the words, shocked as she turned to the other. Felix was her younger twin brother, who had been taken from their family ten years ago. If Jose was telling the truth, then her brother was standing right next to her.

That thought was enough to make her eyes shimmer with forming tears. "No way…"

He lowered his head, his bangs covering his eyes as a rueful smirk grew on his face. "Lord Felix Heartfilia… That's a name I haven't heard in a long time."

Still keeping his creepy smile, Jose raised an eyebrow.

"I've been called a lot of things over the last ten years. Dreamer, Honiahaka*, Felix Wolfe. I've had so many names it's hard to keep track," His smirk turned into a scowl as he turned his anger back on his enemy. "But enough about that, I think it's time you started talking. Why do you keep sending wizards to attack my team and me?!"

"No, my boy, not attack, retrieve," Jose corrected him. "We were hired by your father to bring you and your sister home."

Felix's eyes widened for a minute, but almost immediately, his glare returned with a vengeance. He didn't just glare, some of his magic power flared out as well. It was only a little, but the force of it was enough to make Lucy flinch, and Jose drew back slightly.

"That man is no father of mine!" He growled. "He's officially made an enemy out of me!"

Jose scoffed as he recovered from his outburst. "Either way, you're not going to get away with this attack. You will be punished. I'll show you just how terrifying Phantom Lord can be."

Felix just smirked again at the threat, making it clear he wasn't scared. "Now, Ryder!"

Signaling his spirit, he spun around and pulled Lucy close to him, before throwing them both over the ledge. The stunt was enough to stun Jose pale, causing him to fall flat on his face.

Ryder dove off the roof after the twins, tucking in his wings to gain speed. Once he was close enough, he caught the siblings in his talons as gently as he could. He then opened his wings to slow his descent and glide to the ground. The landing was rough, causing the twins to fall to the ground, but other than that, they were uninjured.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Felix turned to the eagle spirit. "Thanks, Ryder."

Ryder squawked one last time before returning to the spirit world. After he left, Felix pushed himself to his knees and turned to look down the cliffside towards town. The others were on their way back to Magnolia Town at that exact moment.

"Lucy!" A voice called out to them.

Felix turned in the direction he came from and saw Natsu and Happy coming their way. When they got close enough, they stopped, looking confusedly at the newcomer.

"Who are you?" Happy asked.

"That doesn't matter right now," Felix answered, pushing himself to his feet. "We need to get back to your guild."

Natsu then noticed something that only he could find. "Hey, this guy smells a lot like Lucy."

"Maybe they use the same shampoo." His cat suggested.

Ignoring them, Felix helped Lucy to her feet so they could get moving. She had been silent the whole time, still trying to process all that had just happened.

Happy seemed to notice her silence. "You okay, Lucy?"

"I think so." Lucy nodded, still in a daze.

"That's good news. Okay, we better head back to the guild."

"What?! That's their headquarters! Let's get 'em!" Natsu argued.

"We can't! Erza told us to retreat!" Happy disagreed, trying to reason with his friend.

"'Cause she's a wimp! I'll face those guys by myself if I have to!"

"But you saw what they did to the Master!"

"Exactly, that's why I wanna get revenge!"

"You're not strong enough to fight 'em on your own!"

"What'd you say?!"

"I said you can't!"

"I heard you the first time!"

The twins watched as the duo argued before turning to each other. Felix looked at his sister for a moment before giving her a soft smile. "I missed you, Sis."

Lucy was still stunned, processing the fact her brother was indeed standing next to her. Then almost out of nowhere, she tackled her twin in a hug. She nearly knocked them both to the ground again.

Before Felix could say anything, he felt Lucy start to tremble against him. "Hey, it's okay. Please don't cry, Sis." He said gently, returning the hug.

"I thought… I thought I'd never see you again!" Lucy sobbed as the tears she had been holding back flowed like rivers down her face.

By this time, the boys had noticed the twins interacting, and they weren't really sure what to do. In the short time that they'd known her, they'd never seen Lucy cry at all. Plus, they still didn't really know who this guy was.

"I'm back now, Big Sis," Felix said, soothingly. "And I promise I'll never leave again."

After crying a little more, Lucy took a shuddery breath before and looked back up at her brother. Her eyes were still wet, but now she was smiling again. "I missed you, too, Felix."

"Hey, Natsu," Happy turned to his friend. "Do you think that's…"

"Yeah." Natsu nodded, not needing his partner to say anymore.

 _A few days ago, before Phantom Lord attacked, it had been a typical day at the Fairy Tail guild hall. The Natsu and Gray were having a fight, Cana was drinking from a barrel, Elfman was shouting stuff about being 'a real man,' Loke had his two girls in the corner, etc. You know, the usual stuff._

 _Lucy was sitting at the bar, talking with Levy and Mirajane, when Elfman got sent flying into the wall next to them. Mirajane gave a good-hearted chuckle before moving to help her brother up and see if he was injured._

 _As they watched the siblings, Levy noticed a sad look cross Lucy's face. "What's wrong, Lu?"_

 _"Nothing," Lucy sighed. "It's just that seeing Mira and Elfman reminds me of my own brother."_

 _"You have a brother, Lucy?" Erza asked, coming over to them._

 _The blond nodded, the memories almost being seen behind her eyes. "A twin brother, we were really close as kids. No one ever saw one of us without the other."_

 _She paused for a minute to take a breath, knowing the next part was going to be painful for her. "Ten years ago, he went on a trip with our mother. I was sick, so I didn't go. The town they went to was attacked by raiders. My mother and brother were separated in the attack, we have no clue what happened to him. I don't even know if he's alive or dead."_

 _Her eyes were watering by the time she was done with her story. Even after ten years, just thinking or talking about it made her cry._

 _"Oh, Lu." Levy breathed, putting her hand on her friend's shoulder, trying to comfort her._

 _"Lucy," Erza spoke up, getting her attention. "If your brother's anything like you, then he's alive out there somewhere. I'm sure of it."_

 _Wiping away her tears, Lucy smiled at the red-head. "Thanks, Erza."_

 _None of the girls noticed that Natsu and Gray had stopped their fight for five minutes to see what the girls were talking about. For once, neither butted into the conversation, since both understood the pain of losing someone you love._

Natsu had primarily understood, the 'what ifs' that are left behind when there's no definite answer. He almost hated to break up the scene, but he knew they had to go.

"Hey, Lucy?" Happy spoke up, knowing what needed to be done. "I'm glad you found your brother, but we need to get back to the guild."

"Yeah, Happy's right," Natsu agreed. "Time to go."

Remembering who was also there, the twins pulled apart. Felix looked at his sister and retook her hand. "He's right. Let's go, Sis."

Lucy nodded before her brother started leading her down the mountain, Natsu and Happy right behind them. As they walked, Felix sensed Jose's magic start to radiate from the tower.

 _'This isn't over,'_ He thought, unconsciously picking up his pace. _'Not by a long shot.'_

 _ ***Haniohaka: Little Wolf**_

 _ **That wraps up the first chapter, the second chapter will come later. Until then, read, review, and stay tuned. Also, Happy belated Independence Day!**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Updated this story, working on my others. Please keep in mind that I'm a college graduate looking for work, so updates are going to be slow. Thank you.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: Wolf doesn't own anything related to Fairy Tail, she just owns her OC's and the story. There are a few ideas she borrowed from Just2Protect so that credit goes to them.**_

 _ **P.S: Go back to the first chapter to see the beginning.**_

Chapter 2: 15 Minutes to Save the Guild

 _Lucy: Previously, on Fairy Tail…_

 _Happy: We went all out in our battle against the Phantom Lord Guild, but they still snatched up Lucy, and Master lost all his magical power! Oh no!_

 _Gray: It probably would have been the end of this right there, if some unknown wizards hadn't stepped in._

 _Happy: Rescuing Lucy wasn't an easy task, but we did it, thanks to a mystery guy who looks like her!_

 _Felix: I'm back, Big Sis._

 _Lucy: I missed you, Felix._

(East Forest, Lucy's Narration)

 _Hidden away in Magnolia's East Forest, you'll find a treehouse where an old friend of Master Makarov lives._

At first glance, the treehouse was easy to confuse with any of the many trees of the forest. It was hollow in the middle, and there was a reasonably large room located inside. Stocks had been pierced in a few areas, creating openings for windows and a massive, ornate door. The land around the house was left unchanged, apart from a couple of footpaths. There were also a few stairs leading to the main entrance.

The inside was decorated rather sparsely, without too much furniture. The little furniture there consisted of a bed, a working desk, several stumps, and numerous crates and barrels. The extensive collection of books was on shelves that were dug into the trunk of the tree.

The lady of the house was an elderly woman with pink hair tied in a bun and reddish eyes. She wore a dark green blouse with a long skirt and a red cape with a wide collar. Her name was Porlyusica, and she was Fairy Tail's medical advisor.

 _Porlyusica is a highly skilled healer, but she lives a life of seclusion due to her hatred of mankind. Her specialty is in the treatment of ailments that were caused by magic. Which is why the master has been brought to her…_

As Porlyusica finished making the potion she was working on at the desk, she looked over at a young woman performing her own treatment. The Take-Over wizard from the battle at the Phantom Lord guildhall was standing between the bed and a make-shift cot made of leaves on the floor. The Master was laid up in bed while her teammate was on the floor.

Visible magic energy was seen flowing between the two men, coming from the light wizard to Makarov. Archangel had her hand up in front of her, eyes closed, focusing on the task at hand. She stood completely still, aside from occasionally moving her hands as if she were directing the magic.

 _Along with Porlyusica, another healer was helping with the Master's condition._

 _Sera Pride is a former S-Class wizard from the Blue Pegasus guild, and she uses a lost form of Take-Over Magic called Sacred Soul, which lets her transform into angels. One of her abilities is called Magic Power Transfusion, where she can transfer magic energy between people. She said she could use the technique to help Master Makarov, but she would need a donor to help her._

 _That's where her teammate comes in. His name is Issac Honors, and he uses a lost type of magic called Heavenly Body Magic, the caster form of Celestial Spirit Magic. He has a massive amount of magic energy inside him, so he's often picked for these procedures._

Feeling she did the best she could, Sera allowed the magic to disperse and fade away. When she released her control, she put her hands on her knees and started breathing heavily.

"Are you okay?!" Bisca asked, concerned.

"Do you need anything?!" Alzack jumped in.

"No, no, I'm fine," Sera reassured them, waving them away. "I just need a minute."

Once she seemed to catch her breath, she straightened up only to kneel down to check her partner. "Are you okay, Issac?"

"I haven't tried to sit up, yet."

Sera giggled at her friend's remark before noticing that Porlyusica had moved over towards the Master to check her work. "I gave him as much as I dare take from Issac, so I don't know how much good I did."

"What do you mean?" Alzack asked.

"Donating magical energy is similar to donating blood. If I take too much, I risk hurting my donor," The Archangel explained. "Could one of you grab the water bottle out of my bag, please?"

"Sure." Bisca nodded, moving towards one of two backpacks in the corner.

While the cowgirl did that, Sera helped her friend sit up. She moved him slowly until he was in a sitting position.

Seeing her teammate's condition, Sera became concerned with how pale he looked. She knew that magic transfers can take a toll on the one giving the energy, but she was always careful not to take too much.

Even still, the Master required the most significant transfer she ever had to do, and Issac was taking the brunt of it.

A moment later, Bisca came over with the water bottle. Sera smiled as she took the container. "Thank you, Bisca."

"You're welcome. It's the least we could do after you and your team came to give us a hand."

"No problem," Issac spoke up, before taking a slow drink of water. "How's the Master doing?"

The other wizards turned to the healer, who kept her eyes on the old man. "The symptoms he's displaying suggest a powerful Wind Spell was used. My guess, a spell known as Drain. This terrible spell drains the victim of all their magic abilities. Their powers then drift along the winds until they have dissipated completely. If only you'd gathered Makarov's powers when they were initially drained, he would be fully recovered right now. But as things stand now, even with the transfusion, it will still take time."

Helping Issac to his feet, Sera turned to the wise healer. "Do you need me to do anything else, ma'am? One of my Take-Over's can use healing magic, so…"

"That is fine, child," Porlyusica declined, turning to look at her with a slightly softer expression than before. "You and your friend have done plenty. I can handle the rest, so you all should get going. The excitement of you being here will only aggravate his condition."

"Yes, ma'am, and thank you," Issac said, before gesturing for everyone to head for the door. Taking the hint, everyone exited the treehouse and headed back for the guild.

 _Meanwhile_

The guildhall was a mess. There were holes in the walls that were crudely covered with boards, even then the drafts get in.

Since the main guild area was still under repair, everyone was downstairs in the basement. The injured were having their wounds tended to, and everyone was talking amongst themselves.

"Man, this stinks."

"I can't believe we had to retreat."

"It's just not fair!"

"We should go back! We have to get revenge for what they did to Levy!"

"We'll make them pay!"

In the middle of the room, Macao, Wakaba, and a few of the veteran mages of Fairy Tail were circled around a map of the area where Phantom Lord's Guild is located. They were forming a plan of attack that didn't involve putting the injured in any more danger than necessary.

"Okay, so their headquarters is here," Macao said, pointing to a section of the chart. "So, I'm thinking we should try to hit 'em with some long-range spells from this south-east hill."

After making a plan, they got to work gathering what they would need. "I'm bringing out all my explosive lacrimas next time!" Wakaba declared, loading up a sack of spherical lacrima.

"Hey, guys, I'm gonna need some spellbooks for holder type magic from the archives!" Macao called over to the others.

Meanwhile, Lucy and Felix were being guarded in a sense by Natsu, Gray, and Elfman. With them was Happy, Felix's card wizard friend, another cat that looked like Happy, and a wolf.

The card wizard's name was Carter Gamble. He was a former member of the Quatro Cerberus Guild as well as a former street performer.

The second cat was actually the wind wizard from before. His name was Yoru, and he could fly like Happy could. He was all black with longer fur on his head that looked his bangs from his human form. He also still had his blue scarf.

The wolf was an adult female with silvery-white fur and golden-amber eyes that looked like they were lined with charcoal. Her name was Hana, and she was Sera's animal companion.

They were in the farthest corner of the basement. Lucy was sitting on a barrel while Felix was crouched on top of a crate. Natsu leaned against the wall in between them with the two cats in front of him, Hana sitting protectively next to them. Carter was sitting in front of Felix's crate, playing his cards, and Gray and Elfman were off to the side.

While listening to everyone and watching the activity, the boys and Hana were mostly indifferent. However, Lucy was visibly upset about the whole situation.

Noticing her distress, Gray tried to reassure her. "Don't worry. We'll get 'em back for this."

Lucy just lowered her head, her eyes shimmering with the threat of more tears. "I know. I'm not worried about that…" She said in a small voice, causing the others to look at her. "It's just… all my fault."

"Being targeted by dangerous people is just one of the downsides of being rich," Elfman stated bluntly. "'Least you're protected by a real man like me!"

"Hey, will you give it a rest already!" Gray snapped at him.

"I gotta say, I was shocked when I heard the news," Happy spoke up, looking at the blond girl. "Why'd you hide the truth from us, Lucy?"

"I wasn't trying to hide anything!" Lucy responded, sounding more distressed them before. "I mean there's no way to bring up the fact that I'm a runaway in casual conversation. I've been gone for a year, and my father hasn't cared! Now, all of a sudden, he wants to force me to come home?! He's done all those horrible things just to get me to go back! I hate his guts!"

By the end of her answer, she was almost shouting, but she lost her fire when she started talking again. "Still, if I hadn't run away in the first place, none of this would have ever happened…"

"Come on, don't be ridiculous! You're dad's the one to blame!" Elfman disagreed.

"Idiot!" Gray hissed, knowing the bigger guy was making things worse.

Realizing what he said, Elfman tried to backtrack his statement. "Uh, I mean, it's Phantom's fault!"

"No, I'm the one who brought trouble to the guild, and it's all because of my own selfish choices." Lucy sighed, sounding broken.

"This ain't your fault, Lucy." Yoru disagreed.

"Yoru's right," Carter spoke up, looking away from his cards. "Your dad could have just as easily written a letter or come to see you himself. Instead, he hires a guild to kidnap you. Plus, there's nothing selfish about taking control of your life and making your own decisions."

"Besides," Felix jumped in. "Dad shouldn't expect people to stick around when they realize they don't have to put up with his nonsense."

"The boys are right, Lucy." A new voice spoke up.

The group turned to see Sera and Issac walking over to them. Alzack and Bisca were upstairs, keeping an eye out for any attacks. Lucy noticed that Issac had changed outfits into something more casual. It consisted of a white shirt under a black jacket with a red interior, blue jeans with a brown belt, and brown boots.

Seeing them, Mirajane came over. "Welcome back. How's the Master?"

Sera sighed. "I managed to undo most of the damage, but Porlyusica said it will still take time for him to recover."

"How much time?"

"She didn't say, but I assume it's time we don't have," Sera finished, petting Hana when she came up to her.

"You don't know the half of it," Cana called, looking up from her cards. "If the twins are Phantom's real target, then they're bound to attack, and I'd bet it's sooner rather than later. Right now, we just have too many wounded to put up much of a fight."

"Any more good news? The Rune Knights are coming? ERA's been enlarged? Felix is engaged to the princess?" Carter asked sarcastically.

"Carter, don't joke about something like that!" Sera scolded her friend.

"I'm just sayin'." The ex-Cerberus mage shrugged.

Ignoring them, Yoru turned to his best friend. "Whadda we do now?"

"If I just go home, maybe all of this will be over," Lucy suggested, depressed.

"No way, surrender is not an option!" Felix argued. "We can't let Dad think that he can just walk into our lives and start making decisions for us! Besides, it won't help!"

Sera nodded. "Jose's got a chip on his shoulder, he won't be satisfied until Fairy Tail's been burned to the ground."

"With everyone inside if he has his way," Carter added.

Shockingly, Natsu had been silent throughout the whole conversation. When Lucy suggested she go home, he turned to her. "You said you wanted to stay with us, right? Why would you ever go back to the place you ran away from?"

Lucy gasped at his words, meeting the Dragon Slayer's gaze. "Come on, who're you trying to kid? You're Lucy of Fairy Tail!"

Natsu gave her a confident, one that said, 'everything's gonna be alright.' "No more running 'cause you belong here with us!"

Unable to fight the tears any longer, Lucy started crying again. Felix moved off the crate and pulled his sister into a hug, which she returned.

"Ah, don't cry," Gray spoke up, not really sure what to do. "It's just not like you."

"Yeah, please! Real men are weak to womanly tears!" Elfman trembled, out of his depth, making Sera giggle quietly.

"I'm sorry!" The blond sobbed, holding tight to her twin.

Off to the side, Loke was watching the gang interact. When he caught sight of Felix's necklace, he gasped, especially when he noticed it giving off a soft glow. Not wanting to stick around, he made a hasty retreat to the other side of the basement.

Once Lucy had calmed down a little, Issac turned to his leader. "So, what's the plan?"

Felix pulled back from his sister and started undoing his hair tie. "For one thing, we're not running. I'm part of the reason this started, I'm gonna help end it. It's the least I can do for those who were caught in the cross-fire."

"In that case, we're behind ya," Carter said, getting up from the floor.

"I'm with ya all the way, Chief!" Yoru cheered, taking flight. Hana gave a 'bark' of agreement.

"With the amount of injured Fairy Tail has, they'll need all the help they can get," Sera spoke. "We're gonna have to give this fight everything we've got."

"Don't we always?" Issac responded.

Felix smiled at his team as he got his hair pulled up into a high ponytail. "Thanks, guys. I'm sorry for dragging you into my family drama."

"Hey, we've been dragged into worse." Carter shrugged.

Lucy smiled as she watched her brother interact with his group. _'He's grown from the shy boy who used to follow me everywhere.'_

Before anyone could say anything else, Hana seemed to react to something. Her ears twitched like she had heard something and was trying to pin it down. Taking a quick sniff of the air, she started snarling and looked towards the staircase.

"What is it, Hana?" Sera asked, turning to her companion.

Before anyone could react, the ground started shaking violently. Dirt that had been on rafters of the ceiling started raining down on the mages.

"Hey, what's going on?" Gray asked, already on the defense.

"Earthquake?" Sera suggested, kneeling down to try and calm Hana down.

"I don't think that's it!" Issac answered, noticing that the shaking started and stopped at consistent intervals.

Felix noticed that too and came up with an answer he didn't like. "Footsteps."

"That must be some big feet!" Carter cracked, secretly trying not to freak out.

"Chief, I don't like this!" Yoru said, moving closer to the Celestial Wizard's side.

Seconds later, Alzack ran downstairs, looking panicked. "Outside!"

Getting the picture, everyone that ran out of the basement and out the back door, a doorway that faced the ocean behind them. Erza met up with them outside. She had just gotten out of the shower, still wet and only wearing a pink towel.

What they saw in the water, coming towards them, shocked and scared the hell out of all of them. Even the most battle-hardened members like Erza were afraid.

"What is that thing?!" Natsu gasped.

Felix was also shocked, but he recognized what was coming towards them. It was a building, specifically the main headquarters of the Phantom Lord Guild. It was still on the rocky ground it stood on, but what brought the guild to Magnolia were the six, metal, spider-like legs that were under the foundation of the structure.

"It's a guild hall with ginormous legs!" Happy said.

"Is it Phantom?" Loke asked.

"Who else could it be?" Sera answered while Hana stood protectively at her side.

"How do we fight that thing?!" Wakaba asked, freaked out.

Issac steeled himself for combat. He stood at Felix's side, who subconsciously put his hand on his key pouch.

"I never anticipated this!" Erza trembled. "I can't believe they'd go to such extremes to attack us!"

Carter reached for his cards while Yoru transformed into his human form. They moved closer to Felix, ready to protect their leader/friend if necessary. While Felix didn't need protection, he appreciated the gesture.

Once it was close enough, the guildhall stopped moving. One of the outer walls on the second story slid down like a garage door in reverse. A long, iron, cylindrical tube extended out of the opening and was pointed at the Fairy Tail Guild Hall, and the wizards in front of it.

Even at a distance, Felix could feel the magic energy gathering in the device. It was at that moment he realized what it was. "A magic cannon!"

"Run! Get out of here, now!" Erza ordered the group, knowing what was coming. Not even waiting to see if they obeyed, Titania ran forward.

"Erza!" Mirajane called after her.

"Don't be stupid!" Macao shouted.

She didn't listen to either them, activating her magic as she ran. She became covered in bright light as she donned one of her armors.

"She requipped!" Cana gasped.

"What are you doing?!" Loke called to her.

"Protecting the guild hall!" When the glow faded, Erza was wearing a large, blue, and navy colored suit of armor. It was made of many plates with a spiked helmet. On either arm was half of a large shield, which was the primary weapon for this armor.

"That's her Adamantine Armor!" Happy realized.

"Is she gonna try to block the cannon's shot?" Bisca wondered.

"But there's no way her armor's gonna hold up against a blast that strong!" Alzack said.

"You're just risking her life, this is ridiculous!" Wakaba tried to reason with her.

But Erza refused to stand down. "Stay back!" She commanded them as the light from the cannon got brighter.

"ERZA!" Natsu cried, trying to get to her but was held back by Gray.

"We're not gonna be able to stop her, we just have to have faith in her!" The ice wizard told him, though he didn't like it either.

Lucy and the Rogue Warriors were so shocked that they could only stare in horror at what Erza was trying to pull off.

Barely five seconds later, the cannon finally fired a stream of blue/purple/black magic energy. As it approached, Erza brought the two shield halves together in front of her, causing a giant magic circle to appear. When the blast struck the ring, it acted as a barrier and kept the attack from getting through. However, the force of the shot caused a fierce blowback, causing everyone to grab hold of each other and brace themselves.

Even with the wind, Natsu was still trying to break free from Gray's grip so he could stop Erza. Meanwhile, Felix grabbed hold of his sister to protect her, Elfman played shield for Mirajane and Sera, and Issac, Carter, Yoru, and Hana stood their ground against the wind.

Erza had dug in her heels and was able to stand against the attack, but she was only able to hold out for so long. Soon, cracks started to show in her armor and shield. Whole pieces even began to break away. Thankfully, she was able to hang in there and break through the blast. However, it also threw her back off her feet when her shield burst apart and destroyed almost her whole suit of armor.

Subconsciously requipping back into her usual blouse and skirt, Erza hit the ground and rolled back a few paces before skidding to a stop. When the dust cleared, aside from the trench left in the dirt, the guildhall remained standing.

"I don't believe this," Macao breathed, completely stunned. "She actually managed to stop it!"

"Once again, Erza's the manliest one in the guild!" Elfman declared.

"How does that work if she's a girl?" Carter whispered to Issac.

"Not now!" Yoru elbowed him.

"Yeah, but look!" Cana pointed out, looking where Erza fell.

The scarlet-haired wizard was lying on the ground, breathing heavily. What was left of her armor disappeared in bursts of light, and scratches were visible from the fall she took. Aside from that, she was still conscious.

Natsu was finally allowed to move, and the first thing he did was run to the fallen wizard's side. "Are you okay?! Say something!"

Before Erza could speak, Jose's voice filled the air. He was broadcasting from the central control of the guildhall, watching everything on magic images. _"Makarov has fallen. And now Erza can no longer stand. Any chance of victory has slipped through your fingers. Surrender Lucy and Felix Heartfilia immediately. You have no choice."_

"No way!" Yoru refused.

"That's not gonna happen!" Alzack yelled.

"Like any guild would hand over one of their own to a monster like you!" Bisca added.

"You hear that! Lucy's staying put!" Macao declared.

"So is Felix!" Issac added.

"If you want him, you'll have to get through us!" Sera called out, Hana barking in agreement.

The rest of the mages were in an uproar like an angry mob. They made it clear they weren't going to turn on one of their own.

 _"I won't ask again!"_ Jose warned, anger rising in his voice.

In the middle of all the commotion, the twins had remained silent. Lucy had started shaking like she was going to start sobbing again. Even though everyone said it wasn't her fault, she still felt ultimately guilty for bringing all this trouble to the guild. Now, another one of her guildmates was severely hurt.

At the same time, Felix was also shaking slightly, but mostly from anger coupled with hurt. His father had set all this up to force him to come home. He had never been sure how reuniting with his father would have turned out after ten years, but this wasn't what he had imagined at all. Felix wanted to be furious with his dad, especially since he had put his team in danger, but a small part of him that still loved and missed his father wouldn't let him.

"Maybe I should just go with them," Lucy whimpered. "Give myself up."

"Lucy…" Felix looked at his sister, heartbroken by her pain.

At that moment, Erza gathered the strength to sit up and shout, "We would never betray her like that! You'd have to kill us first!"

Her words surprised the twins and the Rogue Warriors, but the rest of Fairy Tail agreed with her. Everyone shouted a loud cry, refusing to back down.

"You can stop askin' now because we're not gonna give you any other answer!" Natsu shouted. "We're takin' every one of you jerks down!"

All of Fairy Tail was in an uproar, ready for a fight to protect one of their own. Their loyalty moved Lucy to the point she was crying again.

Felix was startled by the conviction of the fairies. He had come across other guilds before, from almost every corner of the kingdom. They had all been protective and loyal to each other. However, with Fairy Tail, there was something that went deeper than all those things.

This was a family.

Looking at his team, the rest of the Rogue Warriors turned to him. Thinking about it, Fairy Tail was a lot like his team. They were family in all but blood, and they would go just as far for each other.

Smiling, Felix nodded to the gang. Understanding, the group nodded back. They were gonna help Fairy Tail win this fight.

Up in the control room, Jose was not happy about the situation. He was done holding back. _"If death is what you want, I'll give you a second helping of Jupiter! You've got fifteen minutes to ponder the folly of your actions!"_

The fairies started murmuring amongst themselves at the threat. They still weren't going to betray their guildmate, but they remembered the reality of the situation they were in.

"No way!" Elfman growled, but his tone was quiet.

"What do we do?" Cana asked no one in particular.

"They're gonna fire at us again?!" Loke wondered, feeling scared.

During the commotion, Mirajane had taken Natsu's place at Erza's side. The red-head tried to get up, but the exertion on her injuries was enough to make her pass out completely.

"Erza!" Mira fretted.

Gray turned to when he heard the white-haired girl say something. "Oh, no! She's out!" He said, worried. "And she's the only reason the rest of us are still standing after that first shot!"

Sera rushed forward to get a better look at Titania's condition. Checking her over, she turned back to her leader. "I may need Willow's help!"

"I'm on it!" Felix reached for his keys and selected the one he needed. "Open, Gate of the Firebird! Phoenix!"

A ball of fire appeared in front of the Celestial Wizard before it turned into a bird roughly the size of a turkey with flame-colored feathers that seemed to shift as she moved, giving the appearance of being aflame. She had a long neck and bright blue eyes lined with black that swirled on the ends.

"You summoned, mi' lord?" She asked.

"We have an injured wizard, Willow!" Felix said, showing her over to Erza.

"Is she going to be okay?" Mira asked the Celestial Spirit.

The bird hummed slightly as she did her own inspection, poking and prodding where and when she saw fit. "Sera and I can heal her physical injuries, luckily nothing was broken. However, she will need to rest to recover her strength. In the meantime, we best get her inside. The middle of a battlefield is no place for healing."

"Let's get her to the guildhall," Sera said, turning to the phoenix spirit. "Is it safe to move her?"

"Be very careful, we don't want to aggravate her injuries." Willow cautioned.

"I'll help you get her inside," Felix said, helping the Take-Over wizard move the Fairy Queen so that she was supported by both of them.

"I don't mean t' rush ya, Chief, but ya might wanna make tracks!" Yoru spoke up, pointing to the Phantom Lord guildhall. "We got company!"

Turning to the enemy fortress, they saw dark, shadowy figures flying out of the windows near the top levels of the building.

"What are those things?" Felix asked.

"I don't wanna know, and I don't wanna find out!" Carter answered, freaked out.

 _"You're in quite a quandary, aren't you, Fairy Tail? There are only two ways this situation can play out,"_ Jose announced. _"Either my troops will tear you apart, or you'll be blown away by Jupiter!"_

"Are you kidding me?!" Macao freaked out. "If he fires at us, he'll kill his own men!"

"Surely he's bluffing, who'd do something like that?!" Wakaba tried to dismiss the threat.

"No, he's gonna do it," Cana stated, shocking the older men.

"She's right," Issac confirmed, gravely. "Those phantom soldiers are created from Jose's Shade Magic. They're not human, so it won't matter to him if they're destroyed."

"What the heck are phantom soldiers?!" Bisca asked, slightly panicked.

"You're saying they're ghosts?!" Alzack joined in.

"Oh, great! Just we need!" Carter muttered, face-palming.

"We gotta do something to take out that Jupiter Cannon!" Cana spoke up, focusing on the real problem.

"I'm gonna smash that thing to pieces!" Natsu declared, punching his palm. "I've only got fifteen minutes to wreck it, right?!"

After Cana nodded, the Fire wizard ran towards the enemy guildhall. "Come on, Happy!"

"Aye, sir!" The blue cat said, catching Natsu when he jumped up. Taking flight, the duo flew up towards the cannon.

"Yoru, you and Carter back them up!" Felix laid out his marching orders.

"We're on it, Chief!" Yoru called, getting a hold on the card wizard.

"Up, up, and away!" Carter called, flying after Natsu and Happy.

"'Kay, Elfman, we're gonna storm the place, too!" Gray called, running after the fliers.

"Oh, yeah!" Elfman bellowed, right beside him.

Felix turned to the remaining Rogue Warriors. "Issac, I need you to keep those specters off of us while we get Erza inside. Once we heal her, we'll go back up the team inside!"

"Yes, sir!" Issac nodded like a soldier.

Sera turned to her wolf friend with her own orders. "Hana, I want you to stay with Lucy at all times, okay?" Hana barked in understanding, walking over the blond wizard.

"And we're gonna stay here to protect the guildhall!" Cana added, bringing out her cards. "You with me?!"

"Yeah!" The Fairy Tail wizards shouted, ready for the fight.

Lucy had been standing near the back of the crowd with Hana during the commotion. Suddenly, Mira came up and took her hand.

"Lucy! Come with me!" She led Lucy away from the war zone with Hana right behind her, not noticing that Loke was watching them as they left. Mirajane took Lucy around to the front of the building, where Reedus was waiting. "We have a hideout. I want you to stay there until this is all over."

"No!" Lucy refused, pulling her hand away. "It's all my fault that we're in this mess! I can't just abandon everyone while they're out there fighting for me!"

"It's not your fault, Lucy! I don't see it that way, and neither does anyone else!" Mira argued sternly, taking Lucy aback by her tone. "We're not just fighting for you, it's for all of us! It's for the honor of our guild! We're proud to fight this battle, each and every one of us!"

Lucy looked down at her feet, still feeling guilty about all that's happened. Knowing they didn't have much time, Mirajane held up her left hand. "Please, just do as I say."

Seconds later, Lucy started to sway on her feet before falling forward into Mira's arms. Hana barked, alarmed, but the waitress reassured the wolf. "Don't worry, Hana, I just used a sleep spell. She's not hurt, okay?"

Hana hesitated since she hadn't known the white-haired wizard very long. However, Sera seemed to trust Mira, so she started to relax.

Once the she-wolf had calmed down, Mirajane turned to the robust wizard. "Reedus, take her to the hideout."

"Oui!" Reedus agreed, quickly using his Picto-Magic to create an animal-drawn* covered-wagon.

"I'm counting on you to take care of her!" Mira reminded him, as she set the sleeping Lucy into the cart.

"Oui!" Once Hana jumped in the back, Reedus snapped the reins and sped off for another part of the city.

As the carriage disappeared from sight, Mirajane's form started to glow. Then, in a puff of smoke, she transformed her physical appearance into Lucy. However, her wardrobe stayed the same.

 _'I may not be strong enough to join the others in battle, but there are other ways I can help my friends,'_ She thought, hearing the sounds of fighting on the other side of the building. _'The Jupiter's going to fire again in fourteen minutes. Don't let us down, boys.'_

Back in the back, Felix and Sera were moving as fast as they could through the battlefield while half-carrying, half-dragging Erza between them. Issac and Willow stayed close to their backs, making sure the phantom soldiers didn't get near them.

Flying high, Willow gave a mighty flap of her wings and launched three massive fireballs at the soldiers. Meanwhile, Issac created a sphere of space energy in his hands and fired it at the phantoms. Once it got in the middle of them, it exploded, taking out a large group with it.

"How are you holding up?" Issac called over his shoulder to the paramedic duo.

"A few more seconds, and we'll be inside!" Felix guesstimated, keeping his eyes on the goal.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Wakaba facing off against a shade. Before he could warn him to get out of the way, the specter phased through the older mage. After that, Wakaba dropped to one knee suddenly.

"Wakaba!" Macao called to his partner, coming to his aide. "Man, what the heck are these things?!"

"Whatever you do, just don't let 'em touch you!" Loke warned as he kept up the game of dodge and attack.

"That is correct!" Willow called from the air. "These creatures can weaken a person's life force through physical contact!"

"So, we just don't touch 'em, right?" Alzack asked to confirm.

"That's the basic idea!" Issac called over.

"Then, let's give 'em a taste of what we do!" Bisca told her partner.

Alzack opened the cartridge on his weapon and loaded a type of magic bullet into it. "Loading Guns Magic! Sunlight Shot!"

Firing one of his revolvers, the shot created a large flash of light that turned at least four of the phantoms into skeletons before they seemingly disintegrated.

"Show 'em what 'cha got, Bisca!" Alzack turned to his partner.

"Yeah!" Bisca smirked before using Requip to summon a pair of machine guns. "Requip: Guns!"

Her new weapons resembled Thompson submachine guns with handles on the front and similarly placed, round magazines. Each also sported a large, purple Lacrima crystal on the upper part, and decorated by spiraling motifs.

"Yee-haw!" Bisca gave a wild cry as she began firing at the phantom soldiers, kicking up smoke with each hit.

"Alright!" Macao cheered, supporting Wakaba.

"That's more like it!" The smoke wizard said in a strained voice.

"Nice shootin', lady!" Cana praised, smirking.

However, the smoke seemed to shift and warp once Bisca was done shooting. In a few moments, the phantom soldiers respawned as good as new.

"Aw, c' mon!" Bisca complained.

"They can regenerate?!" Alzack added, not believing it.

"Now what?!" Cana growled.

"Man, that just ain't fear." Wakaba voiced his own complaint.

"We can't seem to catch a break!" Macao grimaced.

"There'll be no end to it if we fight like this," Loke said, adjusting his ring.

"Maybe, but Bisca's attack was enough to cover Felix and Sera's retreat," Issac said, trying to stay positive.

Before Loke could say anything else, he got a startled look on his face. "What is it?" The HBM user asked, concerned.

The ring user turned in the direction of the city. "I have a bad feeling all of a sudden…" He said ominously.

Inside the guildhall, Felix and Sera had laid out Erza on one of the undamaged tables like a hospital bed. The blond wizard had just come back with a bucket of water and washcloth while Willow and Archangel got to work on Titania.

Setting the bucket down, Felix looked out the window at the cannon bearing down on them. "Carter… Don't die on us."

Up on the cannon, the cats had dropped Natsu and Carter down on top of the barrel. Once there, Yoru flew back down to the battlefield to give Issac some back-up.

The pyro wizard was trying to punch his way through the iron and steel of cannon head, and getting nowhere fast. "Crap, I'm barely even scratching the surface!" He grunted out with each punch.

"I guess we're just gonna have to destroy it from the inside, huh?" Happy figured aloud, causing Natsu to pause.

"He's right, ya know," Carter spoke up, moving towards the end of the cannon. "Follow me."

Crouching down, he grabbed hold of the edge and performed a similar maneuver to the one Felix used when he dropped down from the roof. He hung by his fingers from the ledge before giving himself a swing as he let go. The card wizard landed on his feet inside the cannon, adjusting his hat as he stood up, Natsu and Happy right behind him.

Carter motioned for them to follow him as he broke into a run.

"Alright, let's do this!" Natsu said as they ran.

"Aye!" Happy called, bringing up the rear.

A short jog later, they came to the end of the barrel. "Whoa, what is all of this?" Natsu asked when they saw what was waiting for them.

"What we're looking for," Carter answered.

The back of the Jupiter Cannon opened into a giant room with a massive lacrima in the middle of it. There were also four smaller lacrimas on the walls along with various machines and gears. To top it off was a giant clock on the ceiling that was counting down the amount of time that was left before the cannon could fire again.

Speaking of the clock, the hand moved forward one minute, and a voice said, _"Eleven minutes until Jupiter fires."_

"They must be using that lacrima to collect magic energy." Happy deduced.

"Give the cat a fish." Carter cracked.

"But why do they need one as big as that?" Natsu asked, still not getting it.

"'Cause magic focusing cannons don't fire regular ammunition. Instead, they fire concentrated magical power." Happy explained.

"I didn't get most of that, but all we gotta do is destroy that thing, don't we?" Natsu asked.

"Please tell me you're not this stupid." Carter groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Can it!" The fire wizard snapped.

"Anyway, you're not wrong," Carter sighed, getting back on track. "We've gotta bust that crystal to disable this thing."

"I can't allow that!" A voice said from below them.

Looking down, they saw a man standing in front of the lacrima. He had black and white hair in a small ponytail and a black streak across his face. He was dressed like an orange-reddish ninja with a katana at his side.

"Is he a guard?" Happy asked.

"He's not the welcoming committee." Carter wise-cracked.

"Doesn't matter! Anyone who gets in my way is going down!" Natsu declared, jumping down.

"Natsu, wait!" Carter called after the other wizard.

"I don't think so." The guard said ominously.

"Like I care what you think, now get outta my way!" Natsu yelled, readying a fiery fist.

However, to the shock of him and the others, the person Natsu ended up punching was himself. The force of his own attack sent him off course and flying towards the wall.

"Natsu, why'd you hit yourself?" Happy asked, concerned as he flew to his friend.

"I didn't, my fist just went crazy!" Natsu responded, righting himself to land on his feet.

"It seems to me you're getting in your own way." The Phantom wizard taunted the Dragon Slayer.

Jumping down, Carter took a good look at the enemy. _'I knew it! The Great Fire!'_

Meanwhile, the clock ticked by another minute. _"Ten minutes until Jupiter fires."_

"Move it, buddy! We've got a cannon to demolish!" Natsu growled.

"All you've gotta do is shatter the giant lacrima, and it won't be able to fire anymore." Happy explained the plan.

"You can certainly try, but I won't let you." The enemy wizard said.

 _"Seven minutes until Jupiter fires."_ The voice said as the clock ticked down.

"I'm running out of time! Shut up and let me do my thing!" Natsu shouted before attacking him again.

As he got closer, the ninja wizard's eyes widened a fraction, and the Dragon Slayer ended up punching himself again. A minute later, he was sprawled on the ground on the other side of the room.

"Ow!" Carter flinched at the hit.

"You okay?!" Happy flew over to check on the fire wizard.

"That hurt!" Natsu rubbed his cheek as he got up. "I did it again! What's goin' on here?"

"Who cares?!" Happy stressed, flapping his arms. "We don't have much more time! Just forget about this guy! It's the cannon, we gotta break it right now!"

"I'll show you!" Natsu growled at the other wizard, charging at him again.

"Hey! Did you hear what I said?!" Happy cried.

A magic circle appeared in front of the Phantom wizard, and then suddenly, Natsu as launched into a spin by his fist. Incapacitating him, the enemy mage took his own turn to attack. Jumping up, he landed a solid kick on Natsu, sending him flying back into the wall and leaving a significant dent in the process.

He landed on his feet as the timer sounded another minute. _"Six minutes until Jupiter fires."_

"I am Totomaru, and I have complete control over the element of fire." The fire wizard introduced himself.

"Wait! I bet you're one of those whatcha-ma-call-its five guys, aren't ya?!" Natsu said, recovering from the blow.

"Geez, they're called the Element Four, Natsu!" Happy cried exasperated. "How could you not even get the number part right?!"

"How many hits to the head does it take to make someone this dumb?" Carter asked, not even believing it himself. "Natsu, this guy is Totomaru of the Element Four, meaning he's one of Phantom Lord's strongest wizards! They call him Totomaru of the Great Fire!"

"Yes, and any form of fire is my plaything to do with as I please." Totomaru gloated, knowing he had the upper hand.

"You gotta be kidding me!" Natsu grunted as he got up.

"It doesn't matter if it's natural or magic; all fire will wield itself to my commands alone."

"Hate to break it to ya, but you ain't controllin' mine!" Natsu challenged.

"Would you quit wasting your time with this loser and start focusing on how to keep that cannon from firing!" Happy complained.

"This isn't going to go well for you, my dear fire wizard," Totomaru said, sounding amused.

As they were staring each other down, the lacrimas on the walls started lighting up one after another. They began to crackle with energy and were then sending that energy to the big crystal in the middle. The largest lacrima began to glow as it gathered more and more power.

Natsu and Carter gasped at the sight. "Oh no, it's startin' to activate again!" Happy cried.

 _"Five minutes until Jupiter fires."_

Totomaru chuckled as the fairy and rogue warrior stared in horror. They needed to think of something quick, or the guild was doomed.

(Epilogue)

 _Natsu: Man, that guy went and picked a fight with me for no good reason! If he were a real man, he would know that you only fight about stuff you truly care about!_

 _Carter: Technically, his reason was to make sure we didn't stop the cannon._

 _Happy: How funny, that sounded just like something Elfman would say._

 _Sera: Elfman says that?_

 _Happy: Well, he probably would._

 _Sera: Huh, you know he didn't use to be like this…_

 _All: Next time; To Keep From Seeing Those Tears_

 _Happy: Wait, how do you know how Elfman used to be?_

 _Sera: You'll find out next time._

 _Carter: Assuming the cannon doesn't kill us first!_

 _ ***I keep my phrasing vague because I don't know what they call that hog-thing that pulls the cart is.**_

 _ **This chapter took a while, but now it's done. Also, the first chapter is up, too. Read, review, and stay tuned.**_

 _ **(Prayers for El Paso and Dayton. Ohio is my home state)**_


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